We specialize in bringing
intimate groups of music fans to off-the-beaten-path venues
for a night's montage of great sounds around New York City.

Jazz fans are passionate, and
when they find themselves in New York City their passion runs red hot.
Luckily there are literally hundreds of places to satisfy every type of
jazz urge.

Singers like Billie Holiday, Betty Carter, Peggy Lee and Ella
Fitzgerald have left an indelible mark on the scene; as have the master
instrumentalists and composers like Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, John
Coltrane, Miles Davis, Charles Mingus, and Thelonious Monk. From piano
trios in the basement clubs of Greenwich Village to the all-night jam
sessions of Harlem; from the new breed in Brooklyn to old school Latin in
the Bronx, a music lover can easily become
a cavity-ridden-kid-in-a-candy-store when they chomp down on the Big Apple
Jazz Scene.

My passions have run deep into this scene
-- first by
enjoying the sounds as a spectator since busting out of college in 1983.
Then by 1997 I discovered the internet. With old school-DIY-NYC-chutzpah I
managed to launch a website and tour company, Big Apple Jazz, to help
myself and others keep track of the ebbing and flowing of New York's great
live jazz clubs. The people who join me from around
the world on my nightly jazz jaunts are invariably delighted to find out
that the musicians, the clubs, the other jazz fans and even the food that
they encounter all exceed their expectations.

Even non jazz-loving spouses and
hangers-on, who join my tours to be
supportive of the jazz fanatic in their midst, end up re-evaluating their
innate bias against live jazz. Most come to realize that the music they
hear and the love and passion that fuels it, is some of the most authentic
expressions of joy and creativity that has come along in a while and they
can't help but value the experience as supremely positive and swinging -
sometimes even spiritual.

One of my personal goals since I started this project has been to help
elevate the necessity of "hearing a live jazz performance" while visiting (or
living in) New York City to that of "taking in a Broadway show," "going to
the Statue of Liberty," "getting to the top of the Empire State Building,"
"checking out a museum or gallery," or "eating great food." My other
goal is to prove, night after night, that the experience deserves to be at
the top of that list because jazz is something that New York does better
than every other place on Earth.

I woke up one morning and smelled the coffee: New York City is
the jazz capital of the world. I stopped later that night and smelled the
roses: Around about midnight I saw James Carter jamming with the Sugar Hill Jazz
Quartet at St. Nick's Pub on 149th and St. Nicholas Ave. Last Monday, Reggie Workman
was sitting in. On Saturday night after 1:00 AM at Cleopatras Needle on
Broadway and 92nd St. Roy Hargrove jammed for three hours. If these names don't get
your attention it's not the owners of the names at fault. They've done their
homework. I'm doing mine. Don't let the dog get yours.

There are so many clubs opening up in New York that
feature jazz nightly that it may be worth quitting your job to dedicate
yourself more fully to your education. The one book on the syllabus
which I've gleaned from and leaned on since the early 80’s is a free monthly
guide to the New York jazz scene called Hot House (available at most
clubs or by $15 paid subscription: 973- 627-5349). The Internet
can get you started as well. I've recently discovered the WBGO's jazz
calendar:
www.wbgo.org/events/calendar. If you have an idea who you might
like to see, check these resources or the old standbys like the Village
Voice or Time Out New York. On any given night in New York you
have about 50 venues from which to choose.

If you're a jazz freshman, there is a standard answer when the
question is asked, "Where should I go to see jazz?" Village Vanguard, Blue
Note, Jazz Standard, Iridium, Birdland. That's the short answer. These
five clubs handle the most highly regarded jazz acts of the day.
$25 and a reservation will get you where you're going. The
evening will cost more but for arguments sake lets say $25 will get you in
the door. Of these top clubs, the Village Vanguard has the best
bookings at the best price (and all clubs have a no smoking policy). On the flip side, Blue Note
has the best bookings at the worst price, but you can sit at the bar for
$25. The tickets for table seating at Blue Note usually run around $35 with a $5
minimum.

One thing about living in the town where you can "take the
A train to go to Sugar Hill way up in Harlem" is that you can actually
still do that. Think about the poor, hungry jazz freaks in Frankfurt, Tokyo,
Copenhagen and LA. They're in their homes right now spinning their Johnny Hodges
discs and dreaming about the Big Apple  cursing their lives because they're not here
taking a big bite. You know how our mothers used to tell us to finish everything on
our plate because there are people dying for what we're throwing out well we have a
similar responsibility and culpability if we fail to go out and bug out at
Chip Crawford. Today he's just a guy taking his solos, paying his dues, making beautiful
sounds tomorrow he may be commanding Blue Note ticket prices.

To make it to the Monday night jam session at St. Nick's Pub by
subway, get on the front of the A and get off at 145th St. As you exit the
station to the left you're on 147th St., and if all your previous brainwashing about
Harlem hasn't frozen you with panic, then mosey uptown a block and a half more and
Vincent, Nelson and Maryanne will make you feel welcome indeed.

In the existential space that exists between St. Nick's Pub and Blue
Note are clubs like Zinc, 55 Bar, Jules, Fat Cat, and Detour which have the
downtown hip thing down and often book some extraordinary music. Those
clubs charge $0 - $15 and you can sometimes talk as the performers blow.
(But don't talk too loudly if I'm sitting next to you trying to go into my
jazz trance). Other fine clubs like Sweet Rhythm, Showman's,
Knickerbockers, Lenox Lounge can be grouped
flippantly into different pigeon holes, but there is one worth highlighting
that stands tall: Smalls (183 W10th and 7th Ave.). (Once
Defunct -- as of May 2003 - now back with a whole new look-- check out their
spiritual sister at Fat Cat: 75
Christopher Street, (212) 675-7369).

This subterranean iconoclastic cauldron of steamy jazz stew is
already a New York icon that has the potential of following The Factory and The Knitting
Factory into the realm of genre- spawning if they play their notes right. A Smalls
performance has that earthy, intelligent, righteous workshop feel that takes itself damn
seriously -- which isn't a bad thing vis-à-vis the "Just Sell Out"
nineties. The musicians who play there regularly are as serious about their
composing and arranging as they are about their blowing. As the antidote to pop
culture, they may eventually be responsible for a Village Renaissance. These
may be heady notions, but the feel of the club itself is more tushy oriented -- if
your timing is right, you can plant your can on a comfortable couch and swill free virgin
drinks for ten hours till the jams end at eight AM. (Brown bags, and cigarettes are
welcome). All this for the all ages price of ten dollars cash.

Right across 7th Ave. from Smallsat 163 W10th is the jazz shop that
would be king. With no set hours of operation, the tiny Village Jazz Shop
[now closed] is the
place where musicians and patrons mingle among stacks of cds, vintage lps, books,
T-shirts, and a collection of appropriate art. Owner and jazz raconteur Russ Musto
has a special room dedicated to his heroic rare lp collection which is opened by
appointment only -- made in person. He runs the store as an indulgence,
stating that he'd be embarrassed to live in a city that didn't have a store like
his. It's a one of kind place which graces you with the intangible benefits of mom
and pop authenticity.

In these days of DisNY on 42nd St., and Rent impersonating the East
Village experience, and slyly sprouting malls, the gall factor is near to choking.
As New York starts losing its authenticity it is no small comfort that Sir James Newton
was correct: Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. Jazz has been a part
of this city's soundtrack for 80 years and it's bebopping its resistance to the Los
Angelesation of Manhattan louder than ever. So the mayor wants to berate the hot dog
guys and cabbies, he won't be around forever to screw things up. In the meantime,
I'll be happy so long as he doesn't mess around with the club curfew, 'cause this city
won't mean a thing if aint got that swing.

Gordon Polatnick is a New York City tour guide
specializing in jazz tours.

We
have an amazing pastry selection featuring 'Round Midnight
Chocolate Cake, Swing Potato Pie, A Tisket a Tasket Tea Biscuits and Pecan
Peace Pie. Our lunch selection includes salads and wraps which you
can wash down with a variety of Wild Fruitz and other healthy soft drinks.
Cup cakes and muffins are baked with care at Harlem's famous Make My Cake
bakery

History

This historic block was famous during the Jazz Age when 7th
Ave and 131st Street was known simply as “The Corner.” Louis
Armstrong, Fats Waller, Duke Ellington, Bill “Bojangles” Robinson,
Florence Mills Eubie Blake, and Fletcher Henderson could be found
entertaining audiences from around the world across the street from us at the Lafayette
Theatre, Connie’s Inn and the Hoofers Club.
Musicians and actors
made special daily pilgrimages
to “The Corner,” to rub the legendary “Tree of Hope,” (a vestige of which
remains to this day a good luck charm on the stage of the Apollo Theatre).
A contemporary sculpture by Algernon Miller now stands
in
its place to commemorate the era. Let us point out the street where
Billie Holiday was discovered,
once known alternately as Swing Street, Beale Street or even Jungle Alley.
Live jazz is still heard nightly in hidden jazz haunts which we are happy
to help you discover for yourselves.

Mission

Big
Apple Jazz and EZ’s Woodshed continues the tradition by celebrating New
York’s vital jazz scene with cd’s, vintage lps, dvds, concert posters,
t-shirts, books, postcards and
contemporary fine art representing nearly a century of locally produced
jazz. The space is divided into two distinctive halves: the front space displays the jazz merchandise for sale,
and a cafe serving gourmet American coffee,
unique uptown pastries, and lunch items; while the back room, known as EZ’s Woodshed is a
performance space and art gallery featuring an astounding array of local artists. The
beautiful interior woodwork of master craftsmen, Michael T. Stevens and
Matthew
Erickson is featured throughout, as is the fine wood carvings of
Christopher Wallace. Live jazz performances are scheduled during the
afternoon hours at no cost and all ages are welcome. Big Apple Jazz
is open daily from 10:30 AM
– 8:30PM. EZ's Evenings is a series of weekend sets that go from
8:30PM - 11:00PM and feature the best NY players in an intimate setting. Evening
educational programs and private events are also scheduled throughout the year,
as well as programs for children and a weekly keyboard school on Saturdays
mornings at 11AM.

St. Nick’s Pub: Harlem’s Historic Jazz Haunt

By Gordon
Polatnick

Jazz fans
and musicians alike consider St. Nick’s Pub in Harlem’s Sugar Hill section
their place to cut loose and rub elbows with jazz history. Taking
the A train two stops uptown from Columbus Circle, puts one within a block
and a half of New York City’s current answer to the question, “Where should
I go to experience the jazz scene of my dreams?” Six nights a week
(excluding Tuesdays) starting at 9:30 PM, and blowing hard throughout the
night, St. Nick’s treats us to a weekly roster of musicians who’ve come to
play. And in this historic jazz haunt, the ghosts of Harlem past are
ever-present to make sure that jazz in its purist form stays alive in the
neighborhood that nurtured its evolution from stride to hard bop.

In this no frills pub,
owner
Earl Spain collaborated with the reigning queen of Harlem jazz
promoters, Berta Alloway, in 1993 to create a Monday night jam session that
recalls the heyday of Minton’s Playhouse, the renowned birthplace of bebop. Thelonious Monk, the house pianist for Minton’s, would not have tolerated
the lack of a suitable piano at St. Nick’s, but current musicians (Bobby
Forrester, Marcus Persiani, Rahn Burton, Patrick Poladian, and Oliver von
Essen) make the best of the electric keyboards and organs that take a
righteous pounding nightly. The players themselves keep the spirit alive,
even if their electric instruments fall short of paying homage to this
club’s deep associations with the piano.

Sixty years ago when
the club was named Luckey’s Rendezvous after its proprietor and Harlem
stride piano legend, Luckey Roberts, the club at 773 St. Nicholas Avenue was
a stomping ground for Art Tatum, Donald “The Jersey Rocket” Lambert, and
Marlowe Morris. Prior to that, in the 1930’s it was the Poosepahtuck Club,
(named after a New York Indian tribe), and featured jazz revolutionary, Joe
Jordan as house pianist, and Blues vocalist, Monette Moore (who later opened
her own local supper club). Nowadays, it’s the saxophone that takes center
stage at St. Nick’s Pub.

Sonny Rollins, a native of Sugar
Hill, reportedly was inspired by the sounds emanating from the club in its
Luckey’s Rendezvous decade in the 40’s, when he, Jackie McLean, Kenny Drew,
Walter Bishop Jr., and Arthur Taylor were getting their jazz education on
the streets of Harlem. Although Sonny is not one of the titans known to
have stopped by recently, David Murray, Bluiett, and James Carter have made
frequent visits. Today’s young lions pack the place to hear sonic workouts
via the soprano, alto and tenor saxes of Patience Higgins (Mondays, leading
the Sugar Hill Jazz Quartet), Gerald Hayes (Wednesdays, leading the
Qualified Gents), and Big Daddy Bill Saxton (Fridays and first Saturdays,
leading his trio). Each leader is often gracious enough to extend a
welcoming hand to younger musicians, by inviting them to sit in as the
evening progresses – offering an invaluable opportunity to play at a high
caliber with serious artists.

The encouragement and warmth
offered by these experienced musicians, is the keystone of this scene, the
thing that has kept it strong and viable for the past ten years.
Everyone knows that true jazz artists can’t be in it for the financial gain
or great renown, paying back to the community is its own reward.
Bill
Saxton, who was born in Harlem Hospital, has had the longest continuous gig
at St. Nick’s Pub. He embraces his role in keeping jazz alive in
Harlem by passing the torch as others had passed it to him. On several
occasions he has warmly acquiesced to requests to try out unheralded student
musicians, by sharing the stage and trading licks with these ambitious
newcomers. Once it was a thirteen-year-old prodigy, named Daniel
Schlein from Vermont, who joined him on stage and blew everyone in
attendance away with his maturity and innovation. Even David Murray
who was watching the spontaneous performance was moved to congratulate the
young saxophonist. Harlem is not often credited for its big heart, but
those who enjoy the music scene here are all beneficiaries of such largesse.

Consider the vocalists who are
invited on stage every Wednesday and Sunday for the singers’ jam sessions
hosted by
Mintzy
Berry. On a recent Wednesday night she absolutely stunned the crowd
with a hard driving, Holy Ghost-assisted gospel reworking of God Bless the
Child, which she infused with improvised
messages
of self-reliance. Notions of self-respect, love and peace permeate her
patter from the stage as well; setting an openhearted tone in the club that
is unmatched in my jazz experiences downtown. Dues paying vocalists
and tenured denizens are brought to the stage encouraged that the band,
Mintzy, and an appreciative, raucous audience will support their best
efforts.

In the same vein, all
instrumentalists who wait patiently for their opportunity to solo at the
busiest Monday night jam session in town are rewarded by the leadership of
Patience Higgins,
who even-handedly brings musicians to the stage to play
with Harlem’s best. Who are Harlem’s best? Among the more notable players
who’ve added to the mix are Roy Hargrove, Greg Bandy, Savion Glover, Cecil
Payne, Wycliffe Gordon, Leon Thomas, Wynton Marsalis, Russell Malone, Olu
Dara, Roy Ayers, even Stevie Wonder and his daughter, Aisha. Mind you, this
is not a cutting contest (where musicians attempt to dethrone one another on
stage). This is an opportunity to enjoy playing together, form a cohesive
whole, and to learn.

In 1998 a live recording of the
Sugar Hill Jazz Quartet engaged in a typical Monday night jam session was
recorded for Mapleshade, and released as Live in Harlem featuring
Higgins (tenor); Les Kurz (keys); Andy McCloud III (bass); Eli Fontaine
(drums), and special guests Hamiet Bluiett (bs); Gerald Hayes (as); Leopoldo
Fleming (congas). The recording captures the sense of recycled energy that
fuels the band and audience on any given night at the pub. Bill Saxton and
his masterful drummer, Dion Parson also have quality recordings for sale on
Friday nights. These cd’s are personally autographed, and buying one is a
rite of passage for newcomers who want to support the scene beyond the tip
jar and $3 cover charge to sit at one of the dozen or so tables.

Considering what most New York
jazz fans expect to pay for a single set of music at the more established
downtown clubs, St. Nick’s offers the chance to hear and participate in 5
hours of improvised music for as little as $35, which includes the table
charge, two drinks, a cd, and a $5 musician gratuity.
Of
course, sitting at the bar, nursing your two drink minimum, while averting
your eyes from the tip jar, could get you a memorable night of jazz for just
$12. During the warmer months the courtyard out back is a relaxing
setting in which to enjoy the music, while waiting for some space to open up
within the confines of the often packed, and always loud and smoky club.
To many, packed, loud and smoky is how you spell jazz. In Sugar Hill
you spell it St. Nick’s Pub.

Not since the jazz age of the
1920’s, when Duke Ellington, Fletcher Henderson, Chick Webb and prohibition
were attracting hordes uptown, has Harlem witnessed such an influx of
downtown and international visitors on a nightly basis. If you are
wondering what all the fuss is about, perhaps the St. Nick’s Pub is your
best starting point. Sugar Hill also boasts Duke Ellington’s apartment,
beautiful brownstones, several mansions, the
impressive architecture of CCNY,
and views of Yankee Stadium and the site of the former Polo Grounds.
Other Harlem jazz venues include the Lenox Lounge, Showman’s, Sugar Hill
Bistro, Parlor Entertainment, the Flash Inn, Londel’s Supper Club, Robin's
Nest, Mo'Bays, Copeland’s, Luci’s Cocktail Lounge, Perk’s, the
American Legion Post, Aaron Davis Hall, the Apollo Theatre, Sugar Shack and
the Cotton Club. For an up-to-date listing of these and other New York jazz
clubs on the web, visit
www.bigapplejazz.com.

Gordon Polatnick is a
licensed New York tour guide specializing in the city’s hidden jazz haunts
and history. He maintains the website
www.bigapplejazz.com which offers club listings, discounted
tickets to city-wide jazz events, unique personalized jazz tours, photos and
useful links to jazz artists and clubs throughout the five boroughs. He is
also a contributor to All About Jazz, New York, Greenwich Village Gazette
and Haight-Ashbury Free Press.

Note:
In the intervening years, St. Nick's Pub has undergone some changes in
management and scheduling. You can enjoy jazz there 6 nights a weeks,
from 10PM - 2AM -- Saturday is African night-- with free soul food currently
available after midnight.
http://www.stnicksjazzpub.com/

“I
just got back from a set at the Jazz Standard.” Why is it I hardly ever
hear New York jazz fans say that? I just discovered that the Jazz Standard
is a great room. Here’s the drill: In Greenwich Village the Blue Note books
great acts into a cramped, often annoying space, and the Vanguard books
great acts into a cramped, but inevitably romantic space; in Times Square,
Iridium and Birdland book great acts into more spaciously designed rooms.
Now on the cusp of Gramercy Park and Murray Hill there’s the Jazz Standard,
which books great acts into a decidedly more comfortable and relaxed space.
Backing the bandstand is an entirely red checkerboard; presumably, the black
and white squares were left out of the motif to set a precedent.

I never expected to
discover that the Jazz Standard was a great room. Before their recent
yearlong renovation and reopening, I had spent time in their street level
lounge, the 27 Standard, where the jazz was free but the booze and food was
dear. I eschewed the food, and enjoyed the jazz and the booze. I never
bothered going downstairs into the jazz club, because I was satisfied
upstairs and I could more easily afford it. I also imagined that the crowd
below, in the Jazz Standard, was not the vocalizing “Go, man, go!” bunch I
prefer. This bias was born of many trips to the pricey and polite Blue
Note. I incorrectly suspected that the Jazz Standard was after a similarly
restrained crowd. Recently, in conversation with Jazz Standard’s booking
agent and artistic director, Seth Abramson, I found out the original plan
was actually to recreate a scene akin to the balls out Blue Note label of
the 60’s, not the Blue Note club of today.

It seems that the original
Jazz Standard (1997 – May, 2001), was the dream child of a former jazz
drummer, James Polsky, with help in the kitchen from former Rainbow Room
chef, Michael Smith. The upstairs restaurant / downstairs jazz club was
created within a former perfume factory, and seemed to enjoy the sweet smell
of success. In 1999 New York Magazine bestowed the “best jazz club”
award on them, and in retrospect they benefited from a booming US economy in
a pre 9/11 NY. Somewhere during that period, Polsky started cooking up
plans to spice up his dream with help from his famous restaurateur cousin,
Danny Meyer (Union Square Cafe, Gramercy Tavern, Tabla, and Eleven Madison
Park). The idea for Blue Smoke barbecue restaurant was born. All at once
they closed shop. Soon after, startled visitors to their web address found
themselves illogically tossed to a porno site. Signs posted at their street
address said they were closed for renovations. I was aware of no
explanations. They reopened ten months later on March 19, 2002.

Now that the Jazz
Standard’s been recomposed and rearranged into a soulful duet between
America’s food and America’s music – BBQ and Jazz – I can sense a homier
attitude emerging. The old Standard mixed its messages and failed to reach
me. But James and Danny are now reaching out to the uncommon, common man:
The finger-licking jazz fan (think Bill Clinton, think Clint Eastwood, think
Norah Jones)! James and Danny want me to hang out for a set; try some super
smoked ribs, a roasted beet salad and a pile of fries; or whatever, just
order a beer; or hell, just come in and enjoy the music – screw the minimum,
have a good time. Really, no minimum? My wallet didn’t feel big enough at
last year’s Jazz Standard, but maybe this new one is different.

Indulge me while I sharpen
this point a little bit longer. Let’s say I’ve been wanting to see what all
the fuss is about Cameroonian bassist Richard Bona. On a hunch, I will
warily plop down the $20 cover charge and have a $7 drink at the bar. But
I’m a serious local jazz fan. What if Bona’s group blows me away and I want
to come back for several more sets during the week? I can assume that the
“no minimum” policy will allow me to be poor but happy, without somebody
breathing down my necktie-less neck every five minutes to order something I
don’t want. The other nationally booked jazz venues all have minimums, and
understandably so. Here’s the next drill: This is how the other Big Four
compare to the Jazz Standard’s price range of $15-$30 (regarding cover
charge and minimum for most acts): Birdland and Iridium: $30-$40; Blue Note:
$30 - $45; Village Vanguard: $25 – $30.

I happened into the Jazz
Standard on an unusual night. For a week in July, they were playing tribute
to the blues by splitting the week between organ ticklin’ and guitar pistol
whippin’ vocalist Lucky Peterson, and heir apparent to the New Orleans
stylized piano smashing throne, Henry Butler. I caught two sets of Lucky,
who caught on fast to the advantages of the room’s remarkable new sound
system and acoustics. Peterson had a blast playing with feather soft
feeling on the Hammond to a soothed and impressed audience, then charging up
the Chicago blues mountain only to come screaming down the other side with
full throttle guitar assaults -- ringing out single note runs that pierced
the room like lasers. He didn’t look bad either in his satiny Joliet
jammies and black fedora. The joint was jumping and Lucky was toting his
cordless guitar into the sparse crowd to work the audience members one at a
time. The room seats 140, but was only 25% filled, with a large contingent
choosing to sit at the raised area around the bar, which is the only smoking
section. The ventilation must be good because I didn’t smell any smoke that
wasn’t blue. It was great music but I’m more of a jazz man. Maybe I should
have waited a week to see Dr. Lonnie Smith Trio with James Carter, which
really represents that Blue Note soul jazz sound from the 60’s.

I asked Seth Abramson if
booking Peterson was indicative of the direction he was taking the club. He
could think of only one such divergence from the past, when James Blood
Ulmer and Vernon Reid presented their Memphis Blood: The Sun Sessions
material at the Jazz Standard. So no, he was not rushing to fill the void
left by the recently defunct Chicago Blues club of the West Village.
Abramson did offer a peek into his crystal ball when he discussed the
possibility of bringing in some more homegrown sounds from Louisiana.

It’s worth noting that all
of August is dedicated to the wide world of jazz. Richard Bona (August
20-25) is from West Africa, Monty Alexander (August 13-18) is Jamaican,
Luciana Souza & Romero Lubambo (August 6 – 8) are Brazilian, and the
Caribbean Jazz Project finish the month out (August 27 - September 1).

If you attend one or more
of these shows you will benefit from making reservations ahead of time and
arriving no later than thirty minutes before the set is scheduled to begin.
Set times are 7:30 and 9:30 and weekend crowds may inspire a third set at
11:30. I’m often critical of New York’s upscale clubs for shooing their
patrons out onto the street at the end of a set, just when the musicians are
starting to groove. If there are no large crowds clamoring to get your
seat, the Jazz Standard may ask that you to pay half the cover charge to
remain for the next set. This will also give you a chance to finish your
meal at a decent pace. The menu features barbecue favorites like burgers,
pork chicken and ribs, but they’re being smoked and prepared by renown
executive chef/pit master Kenny Callaghan in two custom
90-square-foot pits with 15 stories of new ventilation above the
restaurant. This meat is not cheap. I had the beef brisket with mash
potatoes and onions and a chopped green salad and after the last bite I
wiped my face but my smile remained. I guess I’m here to share that smile
with you.

Gordon Polatnick is New
York’s jazz tour guide. His excursions to the city’s hidden jazz haunts run
daily. He is also the founder of BigAppleJazz.com, which is the home of the
New York City Jazz Club Bible.

There
isn’t a better neighborhood jazz club in New York City than Smoke (short for
Smoke Jazz Club and Lounge). It’s got it all: History, atmosphere,
acoustics, sightlines and most of all, talent! Smoke would have the status
of a world-class jazz venue in any other city. Each weekend the talent that
hits the stage is top shelf. Their roster includes young and old lions --
the pride of New York jazz: Cecil Payne, Tom Harrell, Hank Jones, Dr. Lonnie Smith,
George Coleman, Benny Golson, Jimmy Cobb, Slide Hampton, Cedar Walton you
name it.

The
last time I was there was a chilly Tuesday evening in December, and
coincidently, it was Sonny Rollins’ bassist, Bob Cranshaw’s unannounced 70th
birthday
celebration. Smoke
became the site of a rollicking reunion between Cranshaw and well-wishers
such as
Mickey
Roker, Eddie Locke, and Harold Mabern, who rotated
on and off stage throughout the night to share stories, tell jokes, sit in
and even sing on one memorable occasion. And this was supposed to be a
typical weekly Hammond B3 Organ Grooves Tuesday night (i.e. no cover
charge).

Charles Earland, the late Hammond B3 “Burner,” is evoked when discussing the
clubs current veneration of the fabled organ, with Smoke co-owner Paul
Stache. According to Stache, when Smoke
was first getting it’s sea legs (having opened in April 1999) everyone was
gifted a third-eye watching Earland tear up the joint with his legendary
exuberance, and swinging soul-jazz. In honor of his untimely
passing in late 1999, Stache and partner, Frank Christopher, carved a deep
niche in their programming schedule to further Deacon Earland’s ministry of
sound. Aside from Tuesday evenings, the organ trios take center stage
Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 5 PM – 8 PM during the popular daily
Retro Happy Hour (drink specials like apple and chocolate martinis for $3
are the non-musical draw).

The weekday evening sets
(9, 11, 12:30) run the gamut of tastes and are also free to attend. Sunday
is Latin night with Chris Washburne and the Syotos Band; Monday’s jam
session is creatively hosted by John Farnsworth with a special guest sitting
in; Tuesday’s Organ Groove is anchored by Mike LeDonne; Wednesdays are funky
with Hot Pants Funk Sextet; and Thursdays are reserved for fusion fans to
feast on original music inspired by '70s recordings of Miles, Herbie &
Freddie featuring the Jim Rotondi & David Hazeltine Electric Band.

Even though the weekday
performances are packed with talent and surprises, it’s the big name weekend
showcases ($16 - $25) that lift Smoke up above the ashes of its predecessor, Augies, and into the sphere of New York’s legendary small clubs like the
Five Spot, Café Bohemia, and the Half Note Club. My favorite jazz event of
2001 was the evening Tom Harrell packed Smoke’s small bandstand with his
quartet and a string ensemble (including harp) and premiered the music that
later was captured on his extraordinary Paradise CD. Although
Augie’s and Augie himself are the stuff of legend (Harvey Keitel’s character
in Smoke is famously based on the former club owner), he could not have
pulled off an evening like that.

Augie’s had been around
for twenty-two years and was a staple hangout for the nearby Columbia
University crowd. It was also the proving ground for every new jazz
musician hoping to make it in New York. Brad
Mehldau, Jacky Terrasson, Ugonna Okegwo, Eric Alexander, Peter
Bernstein, Joe and John Farnsworth are among the many who have made it and
continue to support the club in its present incarnation.

The look and feel of
Smoke is remarkable, because it is just right. You’d think a team of
downtown geniuses got together to design a club with the backing of a
Rockefeller. In fact it was Paul and Frank, Augies’ musician and actor
slash bartenders, who put in the sweat equity, design ideas and gorgeous
sound system after buying the club to keep the scene alive after financial
considerations forced its closing. Having knocked out the kitchen and
replacing it with a bandstand, they effectively set the tone for the new
club: It was to be a place where the musicians were the focus and the
audience would be encouraged to add their energy to the mix. They seat
70 patrons and still work the bar themselves; overseeing their handiwork and
watching newcomers admire the plush red velvet and exposed brick ambiance.

Frank and Paul’s future
plans include a record label featuring live music from Smoke, which is being
preserved on their 16 track digital recorder. Also, continuing to grow
the scene to include more young and old lions who are still being introduced
to Smoke’s benefits and largesse.
They are one of the few clubs to feature a grand piano, which is tuned
thrice weekly; and their Monday jam sessions heroically manage to include
every last player in an interesting combo
that often turns into a spontaneous jazz lesson when professor Harold Mabern
is sitting in as special guest. Lastly, in a pre-Michael Bloomberg
effort to renounce their name, Smoke is smoke-free for the 9 o’clock set
every weekend.

Detour is on the Right Path

By Gordon Polatnick
April 2003

Exactly
eight years ago tenor saxophonist, Artie Zeidman, opened the doors of his
dream jazz club, Detour, on an East Village street that was in direct
opposition to the three golden rules of Real Estate -- Bad location, bad
location, and bad location. East 13th Street off 1st Avenue in
1995 was widely known as the turf of drug dealers and ne’er do wells. With
the full time assistance of Evan Zilko, Zeidman’s childhood chum and fellow
boy scout from the north shore of Long Island, a gem of a jazz club emerged
as a diamond in the rough – outlasting the drug element and anchoring the
neighborhood’s positive flow ever since opening day.

Zeidman and Zilko’s mission and vision from the start was to create a laid
back scene where hungry young musicians could explore their skills and try
out new material on a live audience—a simple but unique idea.
The
No Cover / Tip Jar policy, (which is a constant 7 nights a week) ensures
that they will always have an audience of indigent, itinerant jazz fans; and
the fact that this is a serious but shhhhhless jazz club ensures that
neighborhood locals will keep coming back regardless of the music they must
shout over to be heard. The charm of the place is that it’s really just an
iconoclastic local pub that happens to fill up with jazz musicians and fans
every night at around 9:00 PM. It is a win, win, win situation: Zeidman
gets to play and hang in his own club; other musicians get a leg up and an
opportunity to woodshed in public; and the crowd gets a groovy environment
without risking any capital beyond the two drink minimum, plus they can yak
it up or listen up to their hearts content.

The
whole place is a dimly lit six hundred square feet of film noir posters at
odds with odd group photos, both competing for wall space with shelved
Santeria candles and bric-a-brac. It all makes for an unpretentious setting
in which to enjoy the $3 happy hour (4PM-7PM includes well drinks, pints and
bottles), or later on to arrange some tables by the bandstand to immerse
yourself in the music while the bar crowd diverts itself with great draught
beers and Zapp’s potato chips.

Most
of the musicians booked by Zeidman set a groove somewhere along the
boulevard from bebop to soul jazz, but Detour never sets up stylistic
roadblocks to inhibit their muse. Zilko describes the club as a casual
laboratory where the nameless sidemen whom you might see at the Village
Vanguard or Birdland get a chance to experiment on their own musical ideas
as leaders. They also benefit from getting a little more name recognition
in a business that is all about buzz.

The
gloriously atmospheric drummer Matt Wilson, who we last saw backing Lee
Konitz at Iridium, and leading his own quartet at Jazz Standard frequently
shows up on the schedule at Detour -- on one special occasion inviting Dewey
Redman to sit in. Similarly, guitarist Will Sellenraad recently added
venerable drummer Victor Lewis to a special engagement of his soulful Root
Down band. And the much-heralded Grammy sharer Lee Alexander, who lived
with Norah Jones across the street from the club before the couple hit it
big with Come Away With Me, was a regular with Mike Magilligan’s weekly
Sunday Jazz Spot at Detour. There’s also guitarist Alex Skolnick, who
headbangers fond of the band Testament will only partially recognize these
days. Skolnick cut his heavy metal hair, but still plays metal tunes --
only now through the prism of an experimental jazz trio.

Zilko
tinkers with the schedule so repeat visitors will recognize that Sundays,
Mondays and Tuesdays are weighted toward piano trios and quartets with
Wednesdays going to the crooners in an uncharacteristically subdued setting
dubbed The Intimate Room. The weekends get funkier with the electric organ
grooves of local heroes like Adam Klipple, and the swinging vibraphone
quartet of Tom Beckham. To ensure a consistently good sound and a
professional vibe Detour has scratched the notion of having a weekly jam
session. This policy also ensures that all players understand the limits of
the small space in advance of misadjusting their volume above lawsuit level.

Since
this is a neighborhood club in a building with apartments upstairs, Zilko is
ever conscious of maintaining the good will of his block. His to-do list
usually includes tasks that will pre-empt any complaints about the noise.
Now that the city’s bars are part of the no-smoking zone, he anticipates the
need for a functional awning out front, which should dampen the racket
coming from his smokers adjourning to the sidewalk to light up and to
complain about Mayor Bloomberg. There is also the need to cover more of the
ceiling with fire-rated soundproofing in deference to the folks right
upstairs. These considerations are part and parcel of running a club as a
labor of love in a neighborhood that they love. After eight years surviving
off the beaten path and below the radar of most club-goers it looks like
Detour has carved out a resilient niche among neighbors, musicians and
fans. The inspiration to persevere on this difficult but rewarding journey
is the soul of jazz music and is the reason for Detour’s lasting success.

Some things feel so wrong
they’re just right in the Village. Take
the A Train to the West 4th Street stop and you get out on West 3rd.
Walk over to Sheridan Square and find that it’s only a triangle.
Once
upon that triangle in the winter of 1939 Billie Holiday debuted Strange
Fruit to an unusually mixed crowd and the civil rights movement zoomed
forward. The address across the triangle was a cross dresser’s hang called
Stonewall where the spirit of Judy Garland is said to have catalyzed a gay
revolution in 1969. And right next-door at 55 Christopher Street in 1919 a
little bar opened up that witnessed all these changes and maintains the
divey dignity of a bygone era that is slip sliding away.

Now in 2003 that bar named
for its address offers jazz and blues music nightly in an atmosphere that is
timeless Greenwich Village. Café Society, the integrated club that hosted
Billie
Holiday was deflating-ly known as “the right place for the wrong people,”
and you could say that the 55 Bar is too. Step downstairs to it’s dugout
depths and discover a joint that exists as a refuge from the high falutin’.
Take
a gander at the jazz lp collage past the long bar across the narrow room,
and sweep your eyes along the worn wood paneled walls to note the who’s who
among the panoply of 8 X 10 glossies who have graced their stage-less stage
and protected the masses from dull nights. When the stage is quiet the
Wurlitzer jukebox takes requests until it’s show time once again (Weekend
sets start at 6:00 and 10:00 because there are two acts, but most nights the
band kicks off at 10:00 and winds down by 2:00).

If you come by on a Monday
or perhaps on a Wednesday you will be thrilled to see Miles’ guitarist from
his ‘8o’s comeback years, Mike Stern, working out.
Stern,
who studied under Pat Metheny and worked with Blood Sweat and Tears, Jaco
Pastorius, Billy Cobham, Bob Berg and Joe Henderson has had a steady
residency at the 55 along with vocalist/guitarist/wife Leni Stern
(Tuesday’s) and guitarist, Wayne Krantz (Thursday’s). The price of
admission is typically $3 - $15. Even at $15 it is still half the price of
many of the other venues Mike Stern plays: In April he headlined the
Iridium, and in June he’ll play tribute to Miles Davis at the Blue
Note.

When the 55 Bar weekday
resident players are unavoidably detained from performing, you will find
that the management has an extraordinary pool of envelope-pushing talent
from which to choose.
You
will mark up your music calendar pretty well when you note which superstars
are swinging in this intimate room: Guitarists, Jim Campilongo and Adam
Rogers; saxophonists Chris Potter, David Binney, and Virginia Mayhew;
vocalists Kendra Shank, Tessa
Souter, and Jonah Smith; drummers Ari Hoenig and Keith Carlock;
keyboardists, John Medeski and Adam Klipple; bassists Tim Lefebvre, Lincoln Goines, and Harvie S;
trumpetersSteven Bernstein, Duane Eubanks. Go to
www.55bar.com and sign up for weekly
updates to be sent to you via email.

There
are two other weekly performers who must be mentioned at this time: Late
show queen, Sweet Georgia Brown, who belts out the soul and R&B standards in
a rough and ready Etta Jamesian style that is all about letting the good
times roll. On alternating Saturday’s you will find KJ Denhert who blends a
vocal and instrumental cocktail of urban folk and jazz in front of a tasty
band that she leads on acoustic guitar. Denhert is the tornado behind indy
label Mother Cyclone Records.

As a change of pace,
55 Bar is experimenting with an early Sunday evening theater series known as
Bar Hoppers: Three one act plays based on "life in
a bar" starting at 7:30 PM. Following the Bar Hoppers Series at 55
the live music returns at 9:30, offering an opportunity to “Enjoy
drinks, drama, satire, and jazz, all on the same Sunday night.”

To get to this
Prohibition era Village hangout, take the 1 or 9 to Sheridan Square or the
Path Train to Christopher Street. To get a better taste of this area from
another era, we’re recommending the Lost Jazz Shrines series for 2003 at the TriBeCa
Performing Arts Center beginning May 16th. They will be honoring
Café Society and the music of Lester Young, Coleman Hawkins, Billie Holiday,
Lena Horne, Sara Vaughan and Mary Lou
Williams among others.

55 Christopher St. (Sixth/Seventh Avenue) New York ( 212 ) 929-9883

Gordon Polatnick is New York’s jazz tour
guide. His excursions to the city’s hidden jazz haunts run daily. He is
also the founder of
www.BigAppleJazz.com, which is the home of the New York City Jazz Club
Bible.

--Not
related to the original 5 Spot of Monk, Coltrane and Coleman fame--
But a great local success story: A soul food take out joint that was
transformed into a jazzy neighborhood supper club with jazz brunch on
Sundays. Live evening performances are
Tuesday through
Saturday (summer schedule is limited to Wednesday nights) and
start round about 9 or 10 and there is a $5.00 cover charge. (Jared
Rosenberg for The Brooklyn Papers has written a fine review of the Five
Spot).

Please stay tuned to this site to keep up with the
current status of this club. We are not certain what their jazz policy
is at this time.(212) 283-7699 is disconnected

This is the most hidden jazz club/jam in
Harlem. Gishen keeps it low key in terms of self-promotion and attains a comfortable
neighborhood vibe where all are welcome. If you were trying to get off the beaten
path, then beat it on down to Gishen Cafe and bring your ax and taps if you have the
chops. Friday and Saturday nights are typically non jazz dj party events. Call ahead
for schedule updates.

This is the quintessential Greenwich
Village jazz joint. The price is right, the bartenders are in for
life, and the setting is an original 1919 prohibition era speakeasy.
Not to mention the top flight talent that 55 draws on a regular basis.
You can catch Miles' guitarist,
Mike Stern, almost
weekly, as well as the
Wayne Krantz trio, and versatile vocalist,
Leni Stern.
Killer R&B acts such as
KJ
Denhert and
Sweet Georgia Brown drive the party hard for late shows on
the weekends.

Music is presented nightly: Weeknight
shows begin at 9:30pm. Early shows Friday and Saturday are from 6:00pm -
9:30pm. Friday & Saturday late shows begin at 10:00pm

Opened July 31, 2001
A new addition to Harlem's historic Sugar Hill neighborhood, this
finely appointed restaurant/lounge features Jazz
Friday and
Saturday starting at 9:30 pm.
My personal feeling is that jazz fans from around the world should each
stop in and support the Harlem jazz scene while in NYC, and the Sugar Hill
Bistro offers the best opportunity to see Wynton Marsalis sitting
in unannounced, among other jazz luminaries. Call ahead for
schedule and cover charges. ~GP

More than any other jazz club
in New York, Knickerbocker deserves your attention. With its
recently launched website, jazz fans can now plan, an extraordinary night
out to hear piano dous and trios of the highest caliber anywhere.
Last year, I sat just over the shoulder of Sir Roland Hanna and Frank Wess
in a little nook by the bar. The food is very good and hearty, and a
drink minimum seemed to take the place of the stated $5 cover charge.
The audience is a mix of aficionados and local diners and revelers, so the
din ebbs and flows between respectful and disrespectful. The
musicians indulge the disruptions and carry on with Zen like purpose.

Opened in 1978. A restaurant/bar -- specializing in gigantic
steaks -- and as comfortable as a well lit, neighborhood watering hole. Jazz music
is presented Wed. through Sat., beginning 9:45 PM for
only a $4 - $5.00 cover charge. Knickerbockers often features
legends with stars as bright as Ron Carter, Sir Roland Hanna, Junior Mance, Mulgrew Miller, Billy
Drummond, Earl May, Judy Carmichael, Christian McBride, and Hilton Ruiz. This is the last hold out in an area that was once a Golden
Triangle of informal jazz haunts including the venues: The Village Gate, Bradley's and The
Cookery. To its credit, this is not a hip place, and it does not offer
anything in the way of show biz presentation. The only way a visitor
off the street would know that they are witnessing jazz legends performing
at arm's length, is to listen closely to the unerringly high quality of
music. ~GP

BigAppleJazz.com'sFeatured Club of the Month
JUNE 2002

SMOKE
Jazz Club and Lounge(212) 864-6662
2751 Broadway (105th / 106th)
New York City

Picking up where Augie's (its forerunner)
left off, Smoke has developed into a hip and casually swank jazz joint with
the chops and personalities to recommend it to serious fans of NY jazz. Sets
at 9, 11, 12:30. Bar closes at 4:00. $10 drink tickets often serve as the
cover charge. Big name acts like Tom Harrell, Hank Jones and Benny Golson
could cost quite a bit more, and reservations are a must on those special
occasions. Monday night jam sessions encourage vocalists and
players to step up. The 10:00 pm Monday Jam Session is hosted by resident
saxman John Farnsworth & special guests. Wednesday night is funked
up, and Tuesday is Hammond B-3 grooves. Sunday evening is a treat with
lovely vocalists, Carolyn Leonhart and Melissa Morgan performing with their
bands on alternating weeks from 6pm to 8:30pm., and Chris Washburne and the
Syotos Band turn Smoke into a Latin club the rest of the night.